QUASI-2-D TURBULENCE ON A POLAR BETA-PLANEY. D. AfanasyevandJ. WellsMemorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada

Two-dimensional turbulence can be modified significantly when the Coriolis parameter varies with latitude such as that on the
rotating Earth. The vortices that comprise the turbulent flow are found to distribute themselves in such a way that they form zonal
jets. Such zonal jets have been observed in many geophysical systems and are a common feature in the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn
and the Earth. This picture shows vorticity (color) and velocity (arrows) fields measured during a laboratory experiment on
quasi-two-dimensional turbulence on a polar beta-plane. A well-defined polar vortex can be clearly seen in the center of the picture
surrounded by an intense cyclonic jet that is subject to Rossby waves.